


The Language of Flowers

by arixng



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Laviyuu Week 2018, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 17:41:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14170137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arixng/pseuds/arixng
Summary: The first time Lavi noticed Kanda starting to act weird was when he started doodling and painting flowers on literally any surface. Knowing Kanda and his untimely ingenious moods, the splash of colors and flowers aren’t just random prompts of inspiration on a spring day.





	The Language of Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> Day 7: Rainbow | Colorful, Diverse, Hope, Surprise, Solace

✽

 

The first time Lavi noticed Kanda starting to act weird was when he started doodling and painting flowers on literally any surface. He’d grab colored pens, pencils, paint- pretty much any kind of medium he has access to, then make a work of art out of Lavi’s school notebooks, or even his skin when he’s feeling creative. He’s known the man long enough to notice his fascination with art (he’s seen him so engrossed in his canvas that he doesn’t realize the paint clinging to his hair and sweater), and his weirdly adorable obsession with flowers (the plants littered in the apartment are off-limits to Lavi because he kills them without even trying). But in the past few weeks, the combination of the two has been targeting Lavi on random periods. And as much as he adores Kanda’s passions, he feels like those little actions may have something behind it. And knowing Kanda and his untimely ingenious moods, the splash of colors and flowers aren’t just random prompts of inspiration on a spring day.

 

 

It started on a thursday evening. Kanda went home later than Lavi because of a practice match in kendo after school. Lavi had just finished preparing dinner (microwaved leftovers from the day before) when Kanda walks into their shared apartment, failing to hide his limp. He immediately drops his bags on the floor and falls to the couch looking dead and tired and angry and upset and just a sullen mess that Lavi doesn’t want to inflame. Lavi brings their food to the living room, sets it on the coffee table in front of them beside his notebooks, then sits beside Kanda while leaving a small comfortable space between them. Before Lavi could ask anything, Kanda closes a part of the small gap between them by leaning his head on the backrest a few inches from Lavi’s shoulder. They’ve gotten significantly closer since they first met as roommates, and Lavi knows this is the closest he can get from Kanda initiating some form of contact. So he tries to keep his mouth shut to let the rare moment last longer, especially since he’s spent so long trying to earn Kanda’s trust and friendship.

 

“I twisted my ankle since some dipshit kept forcing his way through and stepped on my foot.”

 

Lavi blinks and eyes the elastic bandage wrapped around his foot and ankle. “It hurts that bad?”

 

“Fucking lost ‘cause of it.”

 

 _Ah._ There’s where the mood came from. Not only was his leg hurt, but his pride was hurt too. Kanda explains how the game broke his record of straight consecutive wins, and how the team lost its streak and has to win one more game to head to the finals, and how he had to watch the train leave him and wait for the next while shivering in the cold. And to top his horrible day off, his boyfriend didn’t even come to watch. Didn’t even bother leaving him a message on how the game went ( _“what an ass!”,_ Kanda complains. He wasn’t even pretending not to care anymore).

 

Lavi sighs and starts lightly massaging the back of his scalp, earning him a head pressed closer to his shoulder. He knows Kanda loves it when he does this (but of course he doesn’t admit it), presses harder on pressure points and even goes down to the junction of his neck and shoulder, and when Kanda doesn’t feel like saying anything more, Lavi starts talking about his day. He talks about the marks embedded on his face after falling asleep during European literature. He tells him about his lunch with Allen and the plates of dango his stomach vacuumed clean. He recalls the time Lenalee started ranting to him about her protective brother. He narrates the trip back home when he walks past a tiny Pomeranian barking like the big old scary dog it isn’t. They end up eating their microwaved dinner on the sofa side by side while chatting about insignificant things, and Lavi’s just happy that Kanda’s mood is getting better with each bite of day-old dumplings.

 

When they finish their meals, Lavi turns the television on for Kanda while he leaves him to clean up in the kitchen. When he gets back, he finds Kanda writing things on his history notebook, his colored pens scattered beside him. As he walks toward Kanda, he sees that he isn’t actually writing, but is instead drawing something on a large space on the page he left off.

 

“What are you drawing, Yuu?” Kanda finishes with two more strokes before he closes the notebook and gives it to Lavi. He stands up, ignores Lavi’s offer to help, then limps to his bedroom. Lavi opens his notebook and flips through the last written page. He chuckles at Kanda’s random act when he sees a petunia on the corner of the page, outlined with dark purple and black gel pens, and the center shaded with a lighter purple. He’s about to tease Kanda about his random doodle but when he enters his room, he’s already resting with his eyes closed on his bed.

 

✽

 

They’re both attending the same physics class and Lavi is thanking the gods that he’s sitting beside Kanda because no matter how much of a genius he is, his conduct would probably be the cause of a whack to the head from a displeased panda. He’s dozing off in class again because _goddamn_ the professor is boring as fuck! He’s pretty confident with the topic anyway, and he doubts he’d miss much just for shutting off for a few seconds. And maybe a few seconds more…just a little bit more…

 

He doesn’t even know how long his power nap lasted, but it definitely felt like he slept for three hours. It was impossible though, since he could still hear the professor lecturing and the class only lasted for an hour and a half. Still feeling groggy, he opens an eye and his view starts clearing to catch another face staring back at him. He blinks, once, twice, and a smirk makes its way to his lips because Kanda, of all people, was looking at him while he sleeps. He confirms it with the way Kanda turns flustered and looks away very quickly. The image of Kanda’s expression when Lavi opened his eye both mesmerizes and confuses him immensely, because _what was that?_ Lavi has never seen him look at him or anyone else with an expression so….absorbed? Enamored? …fascinated? Lavi cringes at the very un-Kanda-like descriptions.

 

“Hey, Yuu, how long was I out?” Lavi whispers to Kanda who still won’t face him back. The tips of the Japanese boy’s ears are red, and his fingers were twitching on his desk. As if on cue, the bell rings and Kanda gathers his stuff, swiftly stands and makes a beeline for the exit.

 

Lavi blinks at the unoccupied seat beside him, trying to process what just happened before a few classmates slapped him on the back and teased him for sleeping again. They greet each other goodbye and when Lavi’s the only one left in the classroom, he stretches his aching body and groans in satisfaction when he hears a pop. The pages on his notebook meant for today was supposed to be empty, but pencil markings on the top left of the page caught his attention. Looking closer, he makes out a detailed sketch of a flower. ‘ _Yuu?’,_ Lavi thinks. Unlike the doodle from three days ago, the flower is uncolored and shaded with a mere pencil. Beside it wrote _White Camellia_ with Kanda’s neat penmanship.

 

Tracing the outline of the transparent petals, Lavi smiles at the thought of life in his notebook.

 

✽

 

Kanda’s in a bad mood again, Lavi thinks.

 

But it’s different from his default demeanor. It’s like when he lost the kendo match and twisted his ankle, but way more passive aggressive. He seems dazed, always looking like he’s in a state of deep contemplation. He doesn’t leave his room if it wasn’t necessary, and he responds to Lavi with fewer words than usual. To anyone else it would seem normal, but not to Lavi. He’s lived in the same flat with Kanda for six months, which is more than enough time to familiarize himself with the other boy’s actions and mannerisms. This time, Kanda doesn’t seem like he’s going to explain himself any time soon, so Lavi has to be the one to confront him with his troubles.

 

Lavi knocks on Kanda’s door, and when no response comes, he enters his room and hears the sound of the shower in the bathroom. He waits for Kanda to finish his shower and patiently sits on his bed, an action absolutely forbidden until after four months of their friendship. Kanda’s phone vibrates beside him, and his eye bulges when he catches what’s written on the screen.

 

 _34 unread messages._ From Kanda’s boyfriend.

 

Lavi picks the phone up and takes a closer look to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. _Damn!_ , he thinks. Just how clingy could the guy be? It can’t be that Kanda’s shit at replying, since even he replies to Lavi’s shitty messages.

 

He doesn’t hear the shower turning off, so when the door opens revealing Kanda in a white bathrobe, he nearly drops the phone in surprise.

 

“O-oh, hey Yuu! Was just going to remind you ‘bout dinner, but then you were in the shower..” He laughed weakly at the end, tensing a bit when Kanda walks closer in front of him, eyeing the phone in his hand. The phone blinked and vibrated from a new message, and Lavi pathetically shook in surprise.

 

“Don’t you dare reply.” Kanda said.

 

“Can’t. Even if I wanted to. Didn’t you change your password a week ago?”

 

Kanda shrugged and rubbed his hair dry with the hood of his robe. He could feel Lavi’s curious gaze on him, a look that unnerved him and promised either a thousand questions and endless probing. Before Lavi could ask anything, he languidly falls on his bed beside him and sighs.

 

“I broke up with him.”

 

 

_What?_

 

Lavi stared at Kanda, mouth hanging in shock and utter speechlessness. What was he even supposed to say to that!? Not wanting to say anything stupid, Lavi chose to keep his mouth closed and laid down beside Kanda, both of them focused on the cream painted ceiling above.

 

The silence that filled the room wasn’t as suffocating and uncomfortable as Lavi thought. The rhythmic breathing of the man beside him was oddly calming, the warmth soothing him slowly to sleep. He felt a tug on his sleeve, and when he turns to look beside him, his breath gets caught in his throat because Kanda’s stormy blue eyes are locked on his.

 

“I broke it off before things could get worse. Didn’t feel like it would work out anyway.”

 

His gaze lowers to where his fingers are fiddling with Lavi’s sleeve. With his restless, fidgeting fingers, Lavi could tell he’s nervous and hesitant to talk about his failed relationship. He wants to tell the other that he doesn’t have to force himself, but a voice in the back of his head is telling him to shut up and listen, because he may be Kanda’s only outlet, which is quite an immense honor considering how withdrawn and close-mouthed he is.

 

And anyway, he wants to be the shoulder Kanda could lean on- the friend he could always rely on.

 

In the past few weeks, his boyfriend hasn’t been treating him with the same kind of affection, acting detached and uninterested in the immensely rare conversations which Kanda deemed important and personal. There were times where Kanda felt as if he was being lied to, which eventually turned out to be true. The asshole had been frequenting bars and clubs fishing for some one-night stands, which explains why he doesn’t show up after Kanda’s classes and practices. He only learned about his nightly escapades a few days ago when the beansprout was in the same street as him. He caught him flirting with a girl and took a shitload of photos as evidence. The man in the photo was undeniably his (ex)boyfriend so he immediately broke it off. The whole situation was a mess, a testament to mankind’s capabilities of being complete shit and his stupidity for falling for it (and maybe a testament to Allen’s occasional usefulness).

 

Lavi remembers the first time they got together as if it was just yesterday. They’ve met even before Lavi met Kanda, but they only became official around Lavi’s first month of meeting Kanda. Still, being his roommate for six months, he could tell the little differences in his mood when he came home after time spent with his ex. Kanda isn’t the type to be all lovey-dovey ( _ughh_ _so weird,_ Lavi cringes some more), and his way of showing affection may be subtle, but it’s _there._

Lavi cringes at how sucky the whole thing is. Cautiously, he tries to meet Kanda’s eyes but the other is still busy with the loose threads of his sleeve. It’s silent again until Kanda abruptly sits up and grabs for his phone.

 

“Is it weird not to feel much?” Kanda asks. It was an unexpected question and Lavi didn’t know what to make of it. Wasn’t Kanda being a little dismal and withdrawn than usual since a few days ago? Was he upset because of something else? What the hell? Maybe he really didn’t know Kanda as much as he prides himself to be.

 

For a man who runs on habits and routines, Kanda can be so unpredictable.

 

Lavi sits up as well and takes the phone from Kanda’s grasp. “Maybe you didn’t like him as much as you thought you did.” He scrolls through his contacts and presses on the son of a bitch’s name. “Hmm...Or maybe you liked someone else?” Lavi laughs at the assumption and deletes the number, but Kanda doesn’t retort. When an idea pops in his head, Lavi rises from the bed and walks to Kanda’s closet to pick out the first shirt and pair of jeans his hand finds and shoves the bunch to Kanda’s chest.

“Get dressed. We’re going out.”

  
It’s half past 12 but it doesn’t stop Lavi from taking Kanda out on a ride. It’s a Tuesday night so the streets are pretty deserted and empty of traffic. Lavi doesn’t say anything about where they’re going, and Kanda doesn’t bother asking. His eyes are glued to the passing lights while his chin is resting on his palm.

 

Before they get to their destination, Lavi stops over at some sketchy gasoline station’s convenience store to buy booze- which gives Kanda an idea of what the redhead’s thinking. The cashier doesn’t bat an eye at them even when they’re looking and fooling around (Lavi) like the immature high schoolers they were once. Kanda’s expression turns incredulous when Lavi lines rows of canned beer in the basket and throws in his favorite chocolate milk. He then proceeds to drag Kanda to the snack section and fills the remaining space in the basket with bags of corn chips and sour candies.

 

“You know I don’t eat that shit.” Kanda says, genuinely amused. Lavi throws in a pack of mixed nuts and pouts when he puts back the sour patch kids.

 

The cashier looks absolutely done with life when they dump the basket on the counter. Just to raise Kanda’s mood and just for the hell of it, Lavi grabs a box of condoms from the nearest rack and dumps it together with the other purchases. Unsurprisingly, Kanda’s face twists into a mixture of shock and mortification, even more so when Lavi entwines their fingers together. The latter has to control his laughter when the cashier lets out a sigh. Kanda pulls his hand away as if he’d been scalded, and the redness in his face reached the tip of his ears. Once everything has been bagged, the two scurry out of the convenience store and back into the car, but not without Kanda slapping Lavi’s arm for the unnecessary expense and the embarrassing act. “Hey, those are totally not useless. Never know when you need them for a hookup.” Kanda slaps him again on the thigh for the reminder of his changed status before he fastens the seatbelt back on.

 

They go on a fifteen-minute drive to a place Kanda hasn’t bothered passing to explore. The farther they go, the lesser the signs of city life they pass by, calming Kanda to a point where he nearly falls asleep.

 

Seconds after his eyes fall shut, the car halts and Lavi pats his thigh. “Wake up sleeping beauty, we’re here,” Lavi teases. “Didn’t fall asleep.” Kanda quickly retorts. “And if you call me that again I swear to god-” he doesn’t finish his threat because his eyes widen at the view outside the windshield.

 

The lake in front of him was a sparkling reflection of the sky, a calm and clear basin mirroring the vast expanse carrying the solitary crescent above. Kanda immediately unbuckles his seatbelt and leaves the vehicle to come closer to the water, Lavi following behind him. He wants to chuckle at Kanda’s sudden excitement, tease him again for his unpredictability, but the sight of the other man when he faces him erases his thoughts.

 

There were no clouds masking the twinkling lights tonight. Kanda’s deep blue eyes glimmer under the starlight, and Lavi’s breath is taken away.

 

“Why don’t I know this place?” Kanda picks up a pebble and flings it through the lake, watching the stone skip as it creates ripples that disrupt the peace of the waters. Lavi does the same, watching as his stone crosses through the lake and grins when it aims farther away from Kanda’s.

 

“You just don’t explore enough, Yuu.”

Kanda raises his eyebrow at that. “And where did you get that assumption?”

Lavi throws another pebble, but with more force this time. “Since you stuck to some guy who didn’t deserve you one bit.”

Kanda throws a pebble and watches it sink under the water. “That doesn’t connect.”

Lavi sighs. “You know what I mean.” He breathes in the cool air and basks in the silence that the city could not offer. He wishes the calm and quiet this particular place carries could follow him wherever he goes, but it was a wish too improbable. Life apparently can’t be that generous.

 

But Lavi can try to be. He brought Kanda here for a reason, and he’s not leaving without erasing even just a little bit of the trouble in his mind.

 

“Wanna go for a dip?”

“Wha-?”

 

Kanda couldn’t even finish processing what Lavi had just proposed before Lavi grabs for his wrist and drags him into the lake. It’s a mess of curses, death threats, boisterous laughter and splashes of water, and both of them are in knee-deep and soaked down below. They wrestle to see who loses balance first and falls into the water, and in the end, gravity betrays Lavi first, only to betray Kanda after when Lavi pulls him down with him. They look like idiots with their flailing limbs and soaked appearances, and Kanda thanks the gods that they’re alone, but in the end, he doesn’t care either way because he feels lighter now.

 

They get out of the lake and Kanda is hitting Lavi everywhere ( _“You idiot! You’re such an idiot!”_ ), but Lavi knows Kanda isn’t actually angry because the ends of his lips are as raised as it could be. “Don’t worry, Yuu-boo, I came prepared with towels at the back.” Kanda scowls at the nickname and wrings the water out of his ponytail. Both of them remove their shoes and pull their damp shirts off and hangs them on the opened windows. Kanda wipes himself as dry as he possibly can be in his state and gets back in the passenger’s seat, making himself comfortable while Lavi fixes himself. He helps himself with a can they bought from the convenience store and grimaces as the liquid descends down his throat.

 

“Tastes gross” But Kanda still drinks anyway.

 

Lavi gets in and accepts the opened can, taking a quick swig and sighing as he falls back into his seat. They stare at the view before them and they fall again into a comfortable silence. The only noise is the fizz from their beverage and the crunch of Doritos under Lavi’s teeth. Time passes on and neither of them have any idea how late it is.

 

The wind starts to rustle the trees outside, creating ripples in the once tranquil water.  

 

“I wasn’t fair with him either.”

 

Startled, Lavi turns to face Kanda, only to see him staring straight outside. “What do you mean?” Kanda shakes his head, an implication of his choice not to elaborate, and wraps the towel around him securely.

 

The wind gets stronger outside. By the time Kanda’s on his fourth can, he remembers how Lavi shouldn’t drink too much since he’s driving them back, but Lavi hasn’t even touched his second can.

 

Green meets deep blue eyes, and Kanda swore he can never get used to the seriousness that clouded it. “It’s ok, Yuu. Whatever happened between the two of you, it doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is that you two aren’t meant for each other.”

 

They wait for the wind to calm down before they headed back.

 

Lavi wakes up before noon the next day (he doesn’t have class until 1 on Wednesdays). He’s too tired to remember what happened on the way back to their flat, except the silence and the uncomfortable feeling of wet hair sticking on his face while he drives. Kanda isn’t in his room when he checks for him, which shouldn’t be a surprise since he takes earlier classes. Yawning, he goes to the kitchen to prepare himself some breakfast, only to find pancakes and strawberry jam ready on the table.

 

 _‘Ugh, adorable.’_ Lavi thinks. His eye catches a note left beside his meal, a grocery list, but the listed contents aren’t what caught his attention. At the bottom is a flower inked and filled out with purple and blue shades of colored pencils. A hydrangea.

 

It was still spring time, not midsummer where they bloomed in the city they’re in, and he cannot fathom the connection of Kanda’s drawings to any recent happenings. He could just be overthinking all this, that there really wasn’t any meaning behind his flowery art, but it just came out of nowhere so suddenly. What do hydrangeas have to do with eggs, milk, green tea and his favorite froot loops?

 

✽

 

A week has passed since the breakup confession event and their nightly explorations, and Lavi is regretting the time he spent doing nothing but lounging on his couch watching reruns of alien documentaries. He has a report due the next day, and he’s kinda freaking out since he’s only halfway done, and the remaining requirements are much longer and harder than he expected. _Dammit, Lavi! Get your shit together!_ , he sighs, slapping a hand to his forehead for added dramatic effect.

 

What sucks even more is that the time he could use to work on his paper is shortened since he has an afternoon shift in his part time job at the cafe near campus. He originally planned to work during his shift when no one needs to be attended to (even brought his laptop and all), but the world is against him. The cafe chooses the wrong day to be busy. Now he’s stuck moving from table to table to serve customers with their daily doses of caffeine, meals, and desserts.

 

The hands of the clock point to 5 when the door reveals a new customer. Lavi doesn’t finish his customary greeting when he sees who it is. “Yuu-chan!”, he says a little too loudly, eyes turning their way when he attempts to hug the scowling man who is against the attention. Kanda pries his arms off and looks for a vacant seat.

 

“Do you still end at 7?” Kanda asks while preparing his laptop on the table. Lavi nods forlornly and sighs. “You feelin’ for tea today?”

“Earl grey green tea. Large.”

“Alright, be back in a sec.” When Lavi turns around to the counter, Kanda sees the loose knot of his maroon apron and pulls the redhead back by his belt. Long fingers undo the thin strings of Lavi’s apron and securely ties it back. The large smile that forms on Lavi’s face reaches his eye and a pleasing warmth he could not comprehend spreads in his chest. He playfully pecks him on the forehead and thanks his roommate, and Kanda’s face heats up as he watches him rush to the back to retrieve the orders.

 

The cafe becomes even busier when the clock strikes six. Lavi wishes people would just go home and stop coming so he could have some spare energy and willpower left to finish his paper when he returns to his and Kanda’s flat. It’s moments like these where he contemplates about how the world moves since he’s pretty sure caffeine consumption back in the days wasn’t as intense and staggering as now. He looks back at Kanda who’s preoccupied with his own laptop and remembers him talking about some project due two days from now.

 

It sucks but Lavi has to stay an extra two hours since he left early three days ago for some stupid gig Allen invited him over to (and couldn’t refused since the tickets were already paid for him). The number of people only starts decreasing by half past seven. By the time it’s quarter to eight, Lavi starts fixing up for the next shift and readies his stuff. Kanda is still waiting for him in the same seat, but his laptop is now nowhere in sight. He drops languidly in the seat opposite to Kanda and finds a cup placed in front of him. “Double shot mocha latte” Kanda says, fixing the cardboard sleeve over it. “You look like you’re gonna need it.”

 

The coffee cup in his hands is as comforting as the warmth blooming in his chest when he thinks about how Kanda ordered coffee for him, remembering how Lavi can’t handle his coffee black and bitter like he does. The pleasant blend of sweet and bitter lingers in his tongue, and a smile lights up in his face when he voices out his gratitude. They walk back to their apartment side by side, Lavi talking and ranting about his day while Kanda silently listens. Suddenly, he doesn’t feel so tired anymore.

 

 

 

 

He finishes the blasted paper around three in the morning and if it wasn’t for the coffee then he might have given up and fallen asleep at eleven. One thing that keeps him awake is a discovery behind the coffee sleeve while he was taking a short break from his responsibilities. The sleeve starts slipping (like his eye was about to) and he sees pink on the white cup.

 

Lavi shouldn’t even start feeling surprised anymore. Its Ranunculus drawn with pastel pink gel ink this time.

 

✽

 

The next time Kanda delivers his cryptic flowery messages, it’s on Lavi’s skin. And it’s at that moment when Lavi starts to get an inkling feeling that there’s something to it more than Kanda’s bursts of artistic spark.

 

The sun shines brightly outside. It’s the perfect weather to have a walk outside for most people who aren’t Kanda and Lavi. Instead of basking in the sun’s warmth and glory, they’re both lounging in Kanda’s bed because 1) Kanda detests the sun. It’s too bright and it never matches his mood. And 2) Lavi gets easily sunburned. Anyway, it’s a great opportunity to invade Kanda’s bed because his room has the best area to read due to its natural lighting. Kanda’s in a decent mood today too, so Lavi doesn’t need to do much to persuade (force) him to tolerate his presence. A pale blue blanket is tangled around Lavi’s legs while he reads, and Kanda is on his stomach, testing out a new brand of paint he purchased on a small pad.

 

It’s comfortably silent and the atmosphere is slowly sending Lavi to dreamland. The book in his hands (slightly boring if he were to give an honest review) is about to slip off his fingers, when something cold lands on his arm and jolts him awake. “What the-,” Lavi whips his head to the side to see Kanda holding his arm securely in front of him, paintbrush skillful with its strokes. “Don’t worry, they’re washable.” Kanda says flatly, looking focused on his new project. The bristles are tickling him as they trail around his skin, the cold paint soothing as it glides with each stroke.

 

It was a moment never in Lavi’s life he would have imagined, and so he was left speechless. The absence of noise brought Kanda out of concentration. His face turns red so quickly upon being under Lavi’s intense observation, and not so gently, he jabs at the back of his elbow and says, “don’t look.” It’s almost impossible not to.

 

To distract him from Kanda’s unpredictability and to keep him from looking, he continues the fifth chapter of the novel he’s reading. He had to read the first paragraph around five times before he could process what he was reading. It must be because Kanda doesn’t initiate physical contact often that the hands touching his arm was turning him into a flustered teenager with a crush. He shakes the ridiculous idea off and proceeds to read, thanking the gods that the ninth attempt at the first chapter finally caught his attention.

 

He scratches away his former thoughts of the book. Things start getting interesting and the end of chapter five ends in a cliffhanger, forcing him to move onto chapter six. Chapter six reveals terrifying information so he can’t keep his eye away until he finishes chapter seven. His concentration breaks when he hears a vibration on the side table, Kanda’s phone lighting up from an incoming call from Lenalee.

 

He forgets that Kanda’s working on his other arm, so he raises it to pick up the phone. He halts abruptly when his eye catches the breathtaking shock of white and green on his skin. “Yuu-?” He looks beside him, only to see Kanda asleep on his side. He moves the brushes away so it won’t make a mess on Kanda’s face and on the sheets. Picking up the phone, he answers Lenalee’s call. “Hey Lena. Lavi speaking.”

 

 _“Lavi? Oh it’s been awhile! How are you? Is Kanda not there?”_ Lavi feels a bit guilty for not contacting Lenalee for a month. He doesn’t really have an excuse for that; he’s been lazing around most of the time if he’s not at the cafe or working on a paper. “ ‘m fine, milady. Kanda’s asleep so I can just deliver him the message.” He says, laying the book down safely beside his thigh. _“No it’s okay. I just wanted to know how he’s doing. We were planning to meet next week so I thought I’d ask him where he wanted to go.”_

 

Missing the girl’s cheerful voice, Lavi ends up chatting with Lenalee and keeping each other updated on their lives. There really isn’t much going on with Lavi so he listens intently to Lenalee’s successful love life.The beansprout finally took her out on a date two weeks ago, and now they’re an official couple. Lavi is genuinely happy for them because he knows they’re good for each other. And he’s proud of himself because he helped in the matchmaking process. They go on and on about different matters, and he hopes Kanda won’t kill him for his phone bill, and --

 

Oh. Yuu. He almost forgot. He looks back at the sleeping form beside him, admiring how peaceful he looks and how smooth and flawless his face is under the soft light from the window. If only he’d look like this all the time. But then again, he likes Kanda in anyway he is: whether he’s scowling, sleeping, or when there’s a small upturn in the corner of his lips when he thinks no one’s watching. He realizes he’s been staring at pinkish lips slightly open. _‘They look so soft…’_ he thinks.

 

Bringing his arm before him, he takes in the intricate blend of white, hints of purple, and greens that crawled up from his wrist to his elbow. “Hey Lenalee?” He starts to feel warm all over and his chest feels a bit tight. When he has the girl’s attention he continues. “What do you think is Kanda’s favorite flower?”

 

✽

 

Believe it or not, he’s not stupid and oblivious. Kanda has been giving him irritable and judging looks from the distance. It’s been going on for days and he’s not so sure he wants to confront the man about it yet. He wants his head attached to his neck and he wants it to remain that way. It started a few days after his skin served as a canvas for white clovers. They were sipping tea in the two-seater in the kitchen (chamomile for Kanda and blackberry for Lavi), when Lavi might have brought up a still sensitive topic.

 

“So, Yuu.” he addresses the other man across him with a playful air. “You found someone else you like yet?”

 

Incredulity crosses Kanda’s expression. He’s speechless, eyes slightly wide as if in shock. Then it hardens the way it frequently does back when they first met. From then on, the Japanese has been acting strange around him.

 

Did he ask the wrong question? Lavi didn’t know what he said wrong. Unless...he’s still sensitive about his previous breakup? But Kanda never mentioned it again! That was months ago and it was like Kanda even forgot all about it. Unless...Lavi’s blind and assuming, which makes him a total asshole. But it isn’t his fault if he thought that way but --- _ughhhh,_ Lavi’s so confused!

 

He doesn’t want their friendship to backpedal when Lavi worked his way to get Kanda’s trust. If Kanda doesn’t want to talk about it, then he’s going to divulge information from someone else who knows him well   -who is the beautiful trustworthy Lenalee Lee.

 

Who doesn’t know anything about what’s going on with Kanda. But is willing to help crack the codes in his enigmatic behavior.

 

“So.” she starts, cutting her sentence to take a sip on her macchiato. “You think Kanda’s been avoiding you because you asked if he liked someone when he’s still not over his ex?” It sounded strange and absolutely not Kanda that Lavi wonders how he got to that conclusion. Even Lenalee sounded doubtful.

 

“Well. Yeah? I don’t know.” He hasn’t touched his order of double shot mocha latte the past twenty minutes they’ve been in the cafe he works in. It isn’t his shift, so it’s totally okay to be hanging around. “Why else is he going to be angry?”

 

Lenalee makes an expression that looks like she’s thinking really hard. “But are you sure he’s angry? Maybe he’s just annoyed or expecting something. Kanda may look like he’s angry by default, but you know him well enough to differentiate his moods.” That was true. He tries to backtrack to their interactions the past week and rethinks his conclusion. Now that he thinks about it, Kanda looked at him as if he’s disappointed….hopeless. Huh. Those words sounded worse. His chest started to feel weird and tight thinking about it.

 

“But that doesn’t explain him littering flowers all over me and my stuff.” He sighs. He leans back sluggishly on his chair and watches as Lenalee tries to come up with an explanation. Picking up his drink, he grimaces when the latte has turned disgustingly cold. “First a petunia, then a camellia…” Lenalee mutters under her breath.

 

A few minutes of silence and deep contemplation pass. Then she gasps, and her eyes are wide with insight sparking beneath them. She quickly whips out her phone from her satchel. She’s quiet and entirely focused in searching something up with a knowing grin on her face. Its moments like this when Lavi gets a bit freaked out by her. “Lavi?” He jumps when she asks so suddenly. “Are you familiar with the language of flowers?”

 

Huh?

 

“You said he drew petunias? Petunias symbolize anger and are given when you want to reconcile with someone after a disagreement.”

 

Lavi cannot control his confusion from crossing his face. “But Yuu and I didn’t fight that day. He was angry and in a bad mood, yeah. But we didn’t do anything that needed any kind of reconciliation.” He remembers that day very clearly. Kanda had lost and twisted his ankle from a match. They ate together on the couch and Lavi talked about anything and everything in his day. Lenalee’s eyebrow shoots up and a genuine smile forms from her pink lips. “They also symbolize wanting to be in one’s soothing presence.” she says. “Did anything happen where you comforted him in a way that won’t annoy him?”

 

 _Oh._ No. The new budding conclusion in Lavi’s mind is just _not_ plausible. But…

 

He leans forward to the excited girl and rests his chin on his intertwined fingers. “Tell me more.”

 

✽

 

_Petunia- your presence soothes me_

_White Camellia- you’re adorable_

_Hydrangea- thank you for understanding me_

_Ranunculus- you’re attractive_

_White Clovers - think of me_

✽

 

Lavi looks at the list in awe. Lenalee messaged him the meanings they researched on in the cafe four days ago, and he cannot for the life of him, convince himself that Kanda is speaking to him in flower language. The thought is so absurd and unlikely, but it fits too considering Kanda’s profound interest in gardening and the like.

 

Fine. He could believe in Kanda using a different imagery to speak his thoughts. He was the type of person who wouldn’t say them in a straightforward manner anyway. That he could understand.

 

But the meanings themselves? The day Kanda compliments him and thinks he’s adorable and attractive is the day his right eye starts to function again. The scary thing is, if he pieces the events and the flowers together, it kind of makes sense. The night he drew a petunia, Lavi was trying to ease his mood and help him relax. When he sneaked a camellia on his notebook, Lavi caught Kanda staring at him when he woke up from his nap (he caught that faint blush on his face too!). The hydrangea on the grocery list was seen the morning after their trip to the lake, where Kanda was honest about his failed relationship. There was a ranunculus on his coffee cup most likely drawn while Kanda was waiting for Lavi to finish his shift ( _‘maybe he thinks I look good in my uniform and apron’_ Lavi grins). Then the last one, he’s not so sure about. Maybe it was just a general thing? That Kanda wants Lavi’s attention? Which sounds absurd by the way. But all that just sums into the assumption that Kanda likes him!

 

Which. Is. Impossible.

 

Lavi likes Kanda, that’s for sure. But he can’t say he likes him in _that way_. He has always viewed Kanda as his best friend, his roommate, but not a possible love interest. Sure, he thinks Kanda is attractive ( _beautifulhotsexygorgeousincrediblyunreal_ ), but ever since he started dating the cheating asshat, he completely removed any thoughts of asking him out. Kanda doesn’t show any signs of liking him either before too. He’s always cursing the life out of him and telling him to stop calling him nicknames. He doesn’t trust him to do chores and tells him to fuck off. He wakes him up in unconventional ways and steals his phone when he stays up too late. The list could go on of things that shout _Kanda doesn’t like him like that._ He’s so sure of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Until the following day.

 

It’s a Friday night and Lavi is at home, lounging upside down on the couch watching conspiracy documentaries. He’s about to fall asleep when he hears the front door unlock, immediately remembering Kanda left this afternoon to meet up with Lenalee. He scrambles to his feet and heads to the door. “Yuu!” he greets. But the reaction he gets isn’t what he expected.

 

When Kanda sees him, his eyes widen, and he freezes on the spot like he had seen a ghost. Lavi wants to ask what’s wrong. But he freezes too when he sees red spread Kanda’s face, creeping up his ears and down his neck. He walks to his room so fast Lavi thought he saw a blur of blue pass by him. Then the door to his bedroom slams shut as loud as the silence that resulted after.

 

He doesn’t remember seeing Kanda so off balance. He wants to knock on his door, to ask if he’s okay. To make sure he’s fine. The face he made when he saw him brought an ache to his chest and he hates the thought that maybe he caused it. Did he do something wrong again? Why can’t he comprehend what Kanda’s thinking? How can he start understanding him--

 

 _Oh fuck._ Lavi stops.

 

Kanda was just with Lenalee. What if she…

 

“Fuck!” He curses under his breath. He frantically finds his phone under the pillows in the couch and dials Lenalee. When she picks up, Lavi doesn’t even bother with the customary greetings. “Did you tell him?” he knows he probably sounds hysteric. _“Lavi? Are you okay? Is this about Kanda?”_ there’s worry in her voice and Lavi feels a bit guilty for scaring her. _“I promise you I didn’t tell him anything aside from the fact that you think he’s being avoidant recently.”_ she confesses. _“I thought it was an important topic to bring up. I was even subtle about it don’t worry.”_ he sighs, shuts the television, then walks to his room.

 

“He’s acting weird again Lenalee. Weirder, actually.” he flops to his bed and locks a pillow between his arms and legs. “He saw me when he entered the door and he just..froze. He looked at me like I killed his family and then he _blushes_ Lenalee. He blushes! Then he walks away and locks himself in his room.” Since when had he receded into a teenager, Lavi wonders.

 

The line is silent for a while. He thought she had hung up or the line got cut, but then she sighs and says _“Actually, Lavi, he confronted me himself about...many things. Without me asking straightforward questions. He’s probably still embarrassed about it.”_

_“Because I love both of you. And because I actually feel bad for you, I think I’ll give you a clue.”_ Lavi sits bolt upright and grips his phone tighter.

 

_“Those flowers we researched. They’re pretty accurate.”_

A part of Lavi’s heart wants to believe it. But his mind is stubborn and doesn’t accept it. “But Lenalee. he. doesn’t.like.me.that.way.” He emphasizes each word, setting the fact into the girl’s brain. _“How can you be so sure?”_ He lists all the harsh things Kanda did or said to him before, but he stops when he hears a chuckle from the other side.

 

_“Lavi, you idiot. You’re really not so smart after all.”_

Excuse me?

 

_“Kanda has stopped cursing you for calling him by his first name, hasn’t he?”_

That’s true.

 

_“And you should be thankful he doesn’t let you near the kitchen and do some of the chores. You have a part-time job in a cafe after school Lavi. He knows you’re tired. And knowing you’re a klutz too, that’s his way of making sure you don’t cut or burn yourself cooking in the kitchen.”_

Well. That’s a different way to look at it.

 

_“He just doesn’t want you to be late for school, that’s why he wakes you up like that and confiscates your phone sometimes. You can be pretty bad with self-control, so you should be glad he cares for your punctuality and sleeping habits.”_

 

It is true that Kanda isn’t as harsh, moody, and hostile as he was as before. Sure, he’s still the same old grump; that probably will never change. But he’s sure he’s gotten on Kanda’s good side.

 

Fuck. Now Lavi felt bad. Now that he’s giving a full analysis on Kanda, he realizes that he’s important enough for Kanda to bother himself with him. If he were someone else, he doubts Kanda wouldn’t even bat an eye on him or attempt to care.

_“Kanda hates people, Lavi. But he definitely doesn’t hate you.”_

 

 _Ugghhh_ now his emotions are messed up too. He sets himself under the covers and releases a long, tired, and frustrated groan. “But Lenalee. What if I can’t like him the same way?”

_“You don’t have to force yourself. It’s your heart after all. But if you’d just give him a chance…”_

 

That night, Lavi doesn’t sleep.

 

✽

 

They barely talk for five days. Both of them are busy with their own things. Lavi with two upcoming exams and his job at the coffee shop, and Kanda with his multiple projects done at the campus’ art studio. Also, Kanda has been going home later than Lavi. He comes home looking so dead so Lavi doesn’t bother him when he heads to his room and crashes into his bed. He leaves early the next mornings too, so the only time Lavi catches a glimpse of him is when he violently nudges him awake.

 

Their apartment’s so silent. Lavi doesn’t want to get used to it.

 

Lavi hasn’t been sleeping peacefully ever since he knew about the truth to Kanda’s feelings. The moment he shuts his eyes to cross to dreamland, Kanda’s face suddenly appears in his mind. Then he can’t stop thinking about the man and what to possibly say to him. He shifts restlessly for around two hours in his bed before he finally falls asleep thanks to how tired he is in general. It’s no surprise that dark circles are forming under his eyes.

 

On one Friday morning, he wakes up at 9:00 in the morning where grey clouds litter the sky and the sun hides behind them. The time he wakes up is earlier than usual, but he cannot fall asleep any longer no matter how hard he tried. He forces himself off the bed to prepare himself breakfast, but when he arrives to the kitchen, it’s already prepared like always. By Kanda who leaves the apartment every eight in the morning.

 

Who should _not_ be here, sitting at the dining table drinking tea and focused on his phone.

 

Panic keeps his mouth shut. He realized he hasn’t spoken to the man in a while, and it’s too late to quietly walk back to his room, because Kanda notices his presence and is looking his way. He freezes on the spot like Kanda did to him almost a week ago, so Kanda is the first to break the silence. But not without biting his lip in hesitation and fingers lightly fidgeting.

 

“Your pancakes will get cold.” he merely says. Lavi nods and sits across Kanda, heart beating fast because of how nerve wracking and awkward it is between them, when it shouldn’t be. Ten seconds haven’t even passed since Lavi’s butt settles on the chair when Kanda stands up from his. He wants to cry internally because _fuck_ , now Kanda doesn’t want to be in the same room as him. He picks at his pancake which looks terribly delicious and fresh and carefully plated with strawberry jam. If they don’t do something about this terrible silence in their relationship he may never get to eat his delicious pancakes agai-

 

“You’re not going to ask why I’m here?” Kanda’s voice brings him out of his internal turmoil. There’s a cup of tea set in front of his plate, and by the smell and looks of it, it’s peppermint. Purposely prepared for him to relax, he knows. His fingers come to touch the yellow teacup in front of him, the warmth traveling to calm his nerves. “English lit is canceled?” He asks. His eye follows Kanda’s form returning to sit on the chair in front of him. He doesn’t miss the sigh Kanda releases under his breath. He’s probably just as awkward and nervous as the redhead is. “Yeah.”

 

The silence returns. The ticking of the clock is too loud. Lavi tries to come up with a topic, anything he could think of, especially since not being a chatterbox is very out of character. But before he could open his mouth for lousy small talk, Kanda beats him to it.

 

“I…’m sorry.”

 

Lavi’s eye widens. Blue ones are locked onto his and it’s hard to wrench his eyes away. Sorry for what? For being distant to him? For leaving no explanation whatsoever?....For liking him?

 

“It’s fine, Yuu. But if you could tell me what’s going on..”

 

Kanda’s eyes fall to his slim fingers fidgeting with the rim of his own red teacup. “..you know what it is, Lavi…” Lavi almost doesn’t hear it. And he pretends he didn’t. Kanda’s shoulders are tense, and he’s biting his bottom lip again. A habit he does when he’s nervous or sorting out the right words. Kanda doesn’t mutter a single word in a long time, and an idea pops into Lavi’s mind. He abruptly stands up from his seat and heads to Kanda’s room. The absence of the redhead gives Kanda time to take a deep breath. He downs his tea in one go.

 

When the redhead returns, he brings with him something Kanda did not expect.

 

“If you can’t say it, then draw it. Like you always do.”

 

He places a watercolor set and a small watercolor pad beside Kanda’s teacup. Lavi knows he had just crossed a new point when he implied that he knew what was behind Kanda’s drawings. He sits on his chair and waits for skillful fingers to pick up the brush pen.

 

It takes Kanda around fifteen minutes before his hand finally touches the brush pen. It takes him only eight to finish his work in silence not as deafening as before. Trying not to stare at the man in front of him was too great a challenge when long dark lashes casted shadows over high cheekbones. When pale and fair skin glowed under the soft light above them. When a pink tongue slid over thin slightly chapped lips. The daze is broken when he hears a cough, followed by a pad sliding across the table towards him.

 

Three flowers are aligned at the center. The disks are a detailed dotted gradient of yellow, and the emerging thin petals are shades of a purple so pretty Lavi wants to keep it. No matter how many times he’s seen Kanda’s works, they never cease to amaze him.

 

There it is again. That warm feeling all over.

 

“Which is it this time, Yuu?” he asks. The small painting has dried, so he traces his fingers towards the yellow centers.

 

“Asters.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s a symbol for patience, he later discovers.

 

_I’ll wait._

 

 

 

 

 

After that, it doesn’t take too long for Lavi to make up his mind.

✽

 

He gives Lenalee one last call when he tries to finally sort his feelings out. He finds it funny how they’re each other’s love support. He just hopes whatever happens to his, whether it would really be with Kanda or someone else, it would turn out as well as Lenalee’s did.

 

He becomes aware of the time only when he hears Lenalee’s groggy voice from the other line. _“Lavi, it’s two in the morning.”_ Despite that, she listens to everything Lavi says, not interrupting him once in his moment of emotional outpour. And she’s too tired to actually open her mouth.

 

“I don’t know, Lenalee. What if it doesn’t turn out well. What if we’re not meant for each other?” So many what ifs- so many doubts. Why can’t he handle this situation like the confident person he is supposed to be?

 

 _“Lavi?”_ Her voice cuts his uncertainty and contemplation.

 

 _“Can you imagine a life without Kanda?”_ Lavi stops. _What?_

 

_“Imagine one day. Alone in your apartment. No sign of his stuff. No plants. No paintings. No one to wake you up in the morning. No one to prepare your breakfast. Your hot drinks.”_

 

Lavi can’t. He should have stopped her there.

 

_“Now imagine Kanda. He may not look it, but he’s happy.”_

 

He’s sure he’s one of the very few witnesses to that.

 

_“He’s successful in his projects. He pursuits the life he dreams for himself. He’s everything you supported him to be.”_

Yes.

 

_“But he’s with someone else.”_

No.

 

The picture he imagined crashes with her last words. Eventually, Kanda’s going to find someone else; then he’ll most likely move out of their apartment. He hasn’t thought that far. He’s gotten so used to him being around. He’s gotten so used to their bickering. Their exchange of rants. Their mutual understanding of the division of responsibilities. Their random adventures toward god knows where. Their being each other’s support.

 

He doesn’t want Yuu to leave him. He wants to be with Yuu.

 

He doesn’t know how long he left Lenalee hanging from the other line. Thankfully, the girl is understanding and patient.

 

_“If you can’t, then you know what that means.”_

✽

 

Lavi definitely knows what it means. It doesn’t matter how late he had realized and accepted his feelings. Or if it’s the works of the reciprocity of liking. Or maybe even a push of persuasion from Lenalee (Lavi can’t thank her enough). All he knows is that he _likes_ Kanda.

 

Each time he’s with the man -each time their eyes meet- there’s this stirring sensation that travels around his body; it’s an odd feeling but he likes it. It’s still a bit awkward between them, but they try to make things work. He can see the effort Kanda’s doing in letting things return to how it was between them before, when things were casual and comfortable between them. And Lavi wants that too. But he doesn’t want them to return to just being roommates. He can’t see Kanda as just a friend anymore.

 

But he doesn’t know how to approach Kanda about it. Knowing Kanda, he’d be skeptical about his sudden change in mind.

 

He stresses so hard about it one night, tossing and turning restlessly in his bed before he could finally fall asleep. The following morning, he’s supposed to have overslept if not for the man who kept appearing in his dreams. He opens his eye to a sight he suddenly has the desire to see everyday of his life. It could have been the perfect way to wake up if not for the ice cube pressed to his cheek. “Wake up, rabbit. There’s breakfast on the table.” The moment Kanda’s sure Lavi can no longer fall back to his mattress, he takes Lavi’s phone from the bedside drawer and grabs Lavi’s wrist. Flustered and confused, Lavi accidentally lets out a shy and pathetic noise; the urge to slam his hand on the bedside table intensifies when he realizes Kanda needed his thumb to unlock his phone. He takes a peek to what Kanda’s using his phone for and he sees him in his notes. “I’m coming home late tonight. So if you got time after work, buy the groceries and shit and take the clothes out from the dryer.” As soon as Kanda’s done with the shopping list, he shoves the phone to Lavi’s chest and hurries out of the apartment.

 

His first class for the day doesn’t start until 10 but there’s a transport strike today, which may be the reason why Kanda woke him up earlier than usual. Heading to the kitchen, his bones make a gross and loud pop when he stretches his body. He slumps on a chair and sighs at the drool-inducing plate of bacon and eggs, remembering how Kanda detests greasy and oily food but still buys it because Lavi loves bacon. On his first bite, he groans because his taste buds are happy, his stomach is happy, but his heart feels discontented.

 

 _Oh,_ Yuu. How does he even tell Kanda that he likes him back? Sure, he’s dated people before. He knows how confessions go. But Kanda is different from his past relationships. And he’s confident that he’s serious about this, so he doesn’t want to fuck up and lose his friend.

 

He releases a sullen sigh and stares ahead, dazed at the pots of herbs and succulents Kanda grows in front of the window. If he had shared the responsibility of growing them, they’d probably be dead by the end of their first week of living.

_Oh Yuu,_ and his long fingers, skilled at bringing life and color.

 

Life and color.

 

He remembers back then, around three months ago, when Kanda had gotten angry at him for overwatering three of his cacti. That was when the no-touch rule had started. He was under Kanda’s scrutinizing glare for half the day.

 

By dinner time, they were sitting across each other on the table, and Lavi thought it was the perfect moment to ask what was on his mind the whole day.

 

“Why do you like plants and flowers so much Yuu?”

“Why not?”

“Because you don’t look the type to be fussy over overwatered cacti.” Kanda’s lips were a firm straight line at the reminder. Lavi thought he had killed the mood and resumed to finishing his microwaved dinner. That’s why he had almost dropped his spoon when Kanda opened his mouth a little over three minutes later.

 

“They’re bright. Colorful. And they make living in this shithole more tolerable.”

 

Of all answers, Lavi definitely didn’t expect that. But somehow, it was fitting for someone like Kanda.

 

Lavi sighs for the umpteenth time that day. The succulents by the window are the replacements for the ones he killed. Now that the sun is shining on them, they look so pretty. He notices the red flower growing out of one of them, petals facing the sunlight looking healthy and charming among the green. He’s never seen that before. He rises from his seat to the window and eyes the new addition to the family of green. Red. Striking. Standing out among the others.

 

An idea pops into Lavi’s head.

 

✽

 

Every time Kanda walks home to his and Lavi’s shared apartment, his legs feel like lead. He takes too long standing in front of their door. He doesn’t know whether fumbling with the keys for a moment too long is something he does intentionally. It aggravates him because ‘ _it’s so stupid’_. He can’t enter his own home without holding his breath. He can’t walk around without being alert and cautious of a certain redhead he might bump into. He can’t look at Lavi’s face without feeling this chest tighten and his insides turning cold. He can’t look too long at the person he knows he will never have.

 

He’s been coming home later than usual not only because of work at the studio. Sometimes, he’d prolong his stay just so he has an excuse not to be in the same space as Lavi. It’s stupid. Totally senseless and laughable. Kanda’s so sick of it. Unfortunately, tonight is one of those nights and he wants someone to knock sense into his head. _Stop being such a fucking idiot!_

 

He finally unlocks the door and takes a hesitant step inside. His eyes squint at the pitch-black room and briefly wonders whether Lavi’s fallen asleep. When his fingers find the light switch and flick it on, he blinks at the trail of petals on the floor. What the hell is Lavi up to now?

 

Shutting the door close behind him, he follows the colorful trail that leads to his own room. His legs stop right beside of the last petal. His hand hovers over the doorknob. His own door has never felt so ominous with whatever is hiding behind it. Lavi’s in there, that he’s sure of. And he’s not up for his strange games tonight.

 

 _Fuck_ , he was an idiot for even falling for the redhead. Even if the redhead’s an idiot too, he’s still undeniably smart enough to find out about it. And _fuck fuck fuck_ he knows and he’s probably weird about it or maybe even laughing at him - _god this is so pathetic and embarrassing and-_

 

“Yuu, goddamit, of all times to be slow!” The door swings open revealing the very person he doesn’t want to see right now. Welcoming him to his own room is Lavi, with his annoyingly red hair and beaming smile, failing to hide behind him what appears to be a-

 

Kanda freezes at the bouquet of flowers behind Lavi’s back.

 

Following his line of sight, Lavi grins sheepishly and rubs the back of his flushed neck. The bouquet is shoved to Kanda’s chest, lithe fingers hesitantly accepting it since Lavi doesn’t look like he’d accept it back. It’s a breathtaking array of colors carefully chosen and wrapped together; pink, white, yellow and coral, a light blend easy to the eyes.

 

“Look, Yuu” Lavi starts as he shoves his hands in his pockets, not knowing what to do with them. “I’m really sorry for taking too long to realize.” The sincerity in his voice does not waver. Kanda doesn’t say anything, eyes glued to the spring flowers in his hands. “I-..if it’s not too late…” Lavi’s insides go cold. He squeezes his eye shut and let the words locked up in his chest flow out.

 

“Can I ask you out?”

 

There. He finally said it. He doesn’t realize he’s been holding his breath until Kanda replies. But the silence between them becomes too thick that he has to open his eye and look up to see what Kanda’s doing. “Yuu-chan?”

 

His heart almost explodes at the scene in front of him. Kanda, -stubborn, immovable and hard-bitten Yuu Kanda. Is as red as Lavi’s hair and the lone flower growing on his cactus. His fingers are gripping the bouquet too firmly that Lavi has to pry it out or he’ll crush the poor pretty thing.

 

“Yuu-chan?” he repeats while he fixes the wrinkled sheet encircling the flowers. He watches Kanda take a deep breath after a long moment of what may have been an internal emotional overload and blinks when Kanda takes back the bouquet from Lavi’s grasp. “These flowers. They aren’t bought prearranged, are they?” Kanda doesn’t hide the knowing tone to his voice. He finally meets Lavi’s eye with an appeased expression on his face, the corners of his lips slightly raised. Lavi blinks. Then a wide grin lights up his face, hearty laughter springing from ease and delight.

 

“Had help from the flower shop across the cafe. The lady was kind enough to give me nearly an hour and a half sorting and selecting the best fit ones. For Yuu.” Lavi places his hands on top of Kanda’s, carrying the bouquet, and steps closer. “You haven’t answered my question by the way.” He bites his lip in anticipation, heart pounding in his chest even if the small smile Kanda fails to hide is an answer enough.

 

“Lemon chamomile tomorrow. 6 pm after your shift.” 

 

Pure happiness surges through Lavi’s body as he throws himself around Kanda, spring flowers nearly crushed between chests.

 

Flowers aren’t the only thing that bloom in spring, Lavi thinks.

 

✽

 

_Bouvardia- enthusiasm_

_Light Pink Roses- admiration and appreciation_

_Orange Roses- love emerging from friendship_

_Gillyflower- lasting beauty_

 

✽

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> So sad that laviyuu week is over, but it was a pleasure to participate and to read new works.


End file.
